US embassy cable - 04ROME960

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 000960 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/11/2014 
TAGS: PREL, EAID, PGOV, AF, IT, NATO, AFGHANISTAN 
SUBJECT: ITALIAN RESPONSE:  INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON 
AFGHANISTAN 
 
REF: A. STATE 47946 
 
     B. ROME 927 
     C. ROME 668 

CLASSIFIED BY: POL MINCOUNS THOMAS COUNTRYMAN, REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D). 
 
1.  (SBU)  POST DELIVERED REF A POINTS TO ITALY'S SPECIAL 
ENVOY FOR AFGHANISTAN, AMB. ENRICO DE MAIO, AND ALSO 
DISCUSSED THEM WITH ASIAN DEVELOPMENT OFFICE DIRECTOR, COUNS. 
ALESSANDRO GAUDIANO.  WE ALSO DELIVERED THE POINTS TO THE 
OFFICE OF MFA UNDER SECRETARY FOR ASIA MARGHERITA BONIVER. 
ITALY SHARES U.S. CONCERNS AND PRIORITIES FOR THE CONFERENCE, 
AND AS NOTED REF C, PLANS TO ANNOUNCE A THREE-YEAR PLEDGE IN 
LINE WITH ITS CURRENT 45-47 MILLION EURO ANNUAL CONTRIBUTION. 
 
2.  (C)  WHILE BONIVER HAD HOPED ITALY WOULD ALSO ANNOUNCE A 
LOCATION FOR AN ITALIAN-LED PRT, IT NOW SEEMS LIKELY THAT GOI 
DISCUSSIONS WITH SHAPE MAY NOT BE FAR ENOUGH ALONG TO PERMIT 
THAT (REF B).  NONETHELESS, ITALY EXPECTS THAT ITS PLANS TO 
LEAD, AT A MINIMUM, A PROVINCIAL RECONSTRUCTION TEAM (PRT), 
AND POSSIBLY A FORWARD SUPPORT BASE (FSB) AS WELL, WILL BE 
TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT BY AT LEAST THE U.S. PARTICIPANTS AT THE 
CONFERENCE.  (AN FSB ANNOUNCEMENT IS ALMOST CERTAIN TO BE FAR 
FROM READY FOR PUBLIC CONSUMPTION AND SHOULD NOT BE RAISED BY 
THE U.S. DELEGATION IN BERLIN IN PUBLIC UNLESS THE ITALIANS 
DO SO FIRST.) 
 
3.  (C)  IN HIS IMMEDIATE REACTION TO THE REF A POINTS, DE 
MAIO NOTED THAT THE U.S. LIST OF NEEDS FOR AFGHANISTAN MAKES 
NO MENTION OF NEEDS IN THE JUDICIAL SECTOR, WHICH IS UNDER 
THE ITALIAN LEAD, ALTHOUGH IT MENTIONS OTHER SECURITY 
SECTORS, SUCH AS COUNTERNARCOTICS AND POLICE.  HE WONDERED 
WHETHER THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY WOULD HAVE ENOUGH 
POSITIVE DEVELOPMENTS TO ANNOUNCE IN THE SECURITY FIELDS. 
    ASKED ABOUT ITALY'S OWN TRAINING PROGRAMS FOR AFGHAN JUDICIAL 
OFFICIALS AND ITS WORK TO ESTABLISH THE AFGHAN CRIMINAL CODE, 
HE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT ITALY WOULD INDEED PRESENT THESE 
ACCOMPLISHMENTS, BUT SEEMED TO WISH FOR A BROADER DEGREE OF 
SUCCESS IN SECURITY DEVELOPMENTS. 
 
4.  (SBU)  MORE DETAILED INFORMATION ON WHAT ITALY PLANS TO 
BRING TO THE TABLE IN BERLIN ON MARCH 31 IS CONTAINED IN REFS 
B AND C.  FOREIGN MINISTER FRATTINI NOW PLANS TO LEAD THE 
ITALIAN DELEGATION, GIVEN SECRETARY POWELL'S PRESENCE. 
BONIVER AND DE MAIO WILL ALSO PARTICIPATE.  ADDITIONAL 
DELEGATION MEMBERS HAVE NOT YET BEEN FINALIZED. 
 
5.  (U)  KABUL MINIMIZE CONSIDERED. 
SEMBLER 
 
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 2004ROME00960 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL